Trolley-wire supporting and connecting device.



No. 674,657. Patented May 2|, l90l.

a. H. RICKE.

TROLLEYYWIBE SUPPORTING AND CONNECTING DEVICE.

(Appliczition filed Mat. 21, 1901.)

(No Model.)-

nnnnu UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

GEORGE HENRY RICKE, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO SAMUEL K. DRUCE,JOHN ASA I-IOSBROOK, AND DANIEL S. HOSBROOK, OF MADEIRA,

OHIO.

TROLLEY-WIRE SUPPORTING AND CONNECTING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 674,657, dated May 21,1901.

- Application filed March 21, 1901- Serial No. 52,183. (No model.)

0 a whmn it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE HENRY RIcKE, a citizen of the United Statesof America, and a resident of Cincinnati, in the county of Hamilton andState of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inTrolley- WVire Supporting and Connecting Devices, of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in clamps or hangers suchas are commonly employed for supporting trolley-wires and the object ofthe invention is to provide a device of this nature of a simple andinexpensive construction having improved devices for securelyclamping-and holding the trolley wire, the devices being capable ofready and convenient adjustment to permit of releasing the wire from theclamp or hanger when desired for purposes of repair or otherwise.

The invention consists in certain novel features of the construction,combination, and arrangement of the several parts of the improvedtrolley-wire clamp or hanger whereby certain important advantages areattained and the device is made simpler, cheaper, and otherwise betteradapted and more convenient for use, all as will be hereinafter fullyset forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate the invention,Figure l is a side elevation showing the improved trolley-wire clamp orhanger constructed according to my invention, and Fig. 2 is an axialsection taken vertically through the device in the plane of thetrolley-wire. Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2, but taken throughthe hanger in a plane at right angles to the length of the trolley-wire.Fig. 4 is a plan view of the wiregripping parts of the improved hanger,and Fig. 5 is a view showing the under side of the upper or grippingmember of the hanger.

In the views, 1 indicates a bolt such as is ordinarily employed forsuspending trolleywire hangers or clamps from the span-wires, said boltcarrying suitable insulators 2 at its upper end and having its lower endscrewthreaded for connection with the gripping parts of the improvedclamp or hanger.

3 indicates a U shaped part or member, the lower end of which is bentand flattened out to form an elongated and rounded seat to re ceive thetrolley-wire 0c. The upper ends of the arms 4 of the part or member 3are thickened. and extended up in line with each other at opposite sidesof the said seat and are spaced apart suitably to permit thetrolley-wire or to slip readily down between them and into the seat, asshown in Figs. 2 and 3.

In connection with the part or member 3 a keeper 6 is employed, saidkeeper being in annular or ring shape and having a central openingadapted for the passage of the upper extremities of the arms 4 of thepart or memher 3, said upper extremities being made reduced, so as toprovide on the outer sides of the respective arms 4 shoulders 5, uponwhich the annular keeper 6 rests and is supported. The keeper 6 preventsspreading of the arms 4 away from each other and is provided at oppositepoints with inwardly-projected parts or lugs 7, which extend into thespace between the arms 4 of member 3, as clearly shown in Fig. 4.

In the space between the arms 4 of the part or member 3 is held aclamping part or member 8, the lower end of which is widened or madelaterally expanded and the upper end 9 of which is formed into a narrowshank which extends up between the reduced portions of arms 4 and isheld against removal from the space by engagement within the centralspace or opening of the keeper 6. When the keeper is removed from thearms 4, the clamping member 3 may of course be readily removed from thespace between said arms.

The clamping member 8 is adapted to rest at its lower part upon thetrolley-wire 00, held in the seat of the U-shaped member 3, and thelower surface of the said part or member 8 is hollowed out or madeconcaved and is provided with oppositely-arranged series of serrationsor tooth-like projections adapted to impinge upon the trolley-wire 00,as shown in Fig. 2.

From the drawings it will be seen that the construction of the upperends of the arms 4 of the part or member 3 and of the keeper ,6 is suchthat when the said keeper is in place upon the arms, as seen in Figs. 3and 4, the engaging parts of the arms and keeper present the appearanceof and serve as an integral cylindrical shank for the part or member 3of the hanger. In the shank thus produced is formed a screw-threadedbore or passage 11, adapted to receive the threaded lower end of thebolt 1, by means of which the improved hanger or clamp is supported.Portions of the screw-threads of the bore or passage 11 are, owing tothe peculiar construction of the keeper 6, with its lugs 7 extendedbetween the arms 4, produced upon each of the arms 4 and also upon eachof the said lugs 7 of the keeper, so that when the bolt 1 is screwedhome the engagement of the screw-threads thereof with the partialthreads upon both the arms 4 and lugs 7 will act to securely lock andhold the keeper in place upon the part or member 3, so that these partsare held in proper relation one to the other.

The lower end of the bolt 1 when screwed into the bore or passage 11 isadapted for engagement upon the upper end of the shank 9 of the movableclamping part or member Sin such a Way as to cause the serrated lowersurface 10 of said clamping member 8 to be forcibly pressed down uponthe trolley-wire m, held in the seat of the member 3, whereby the saidtrolley wire is securely clamped and held against lengthwise movementbetween the two members 3 and 8 of the hanger.

From the above description it will be seen that the improved clamp orhanger is of an extremely simple and inexpensive nature and isespecially well adapted for use by reason of the facility with which thetrolley-wire may be both clamped and released by merely turning the bolt1 to screw it into or unscrew it from its bore or passage 11, and itwill also be obvious that the device permits a very important economy inthat it provides a very simple and effective means for clamping the twoends of the wire in case of a break, since the oppositely-arrangedserrations 10 of the member 8 are adapted forsecurely clamping the twoends of the wire and holding them without requiring splicing or otherexpedients.

It will also be obvious from the above descriptionthat the improvedhanger or clamp is capable of considerable modification without materialdeparture from the principles and spirit of the invention, and for thisreason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the preciseform and arrangement of the several parts of the device as herein setforth.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is-

1. In a hanger for trolley-wires and the like, the combination of a partor member having a seat to receive a trolley-wire and provided with armsextended up on opposite sides of said seat,a clamping partor memberarranged to bear upon the trolley-wire when held in said seat andinsertible e'dgewise between said arms and a part extended between andhaving threaded engagement with said arms and having its lower endengaged with the clam ping part or member for'actuating said clampingpart or member, substantially as set forth.

2. In a hanger for trolley-wires and the like, the combination of a partormember having a seat to receive a trolley-wire and provided with armsextended up on opposite sides of said seat,a clamping member or partarranged to bear upon the trolley-wire when held in said seat andins'ertible edgewise between said arms, a keeper passed about said armsto prevent them from spreading and a device extended between and havingthreaded engagement with the arms of one of the members and arranged forengagement with the clamping member and adapted when actuated to pressthe clamping member upon the trolleywire, substantially as set forth.

3. In a hanger for trolley-wires and the like, the combination of amember having a seat to receive a trolley-wire and provided with armsextended up on opposite sides of said seat, a keeper adapted to bepassed over the said arms to prevent the same from spreading and adevice extended between and having threaded engagement with the arms,substantially as set forth.

4. In a hanger for trolley-wires and the like, the combination of amember having a seat to receive a trolley-wire and provided with armsextended up on opposite sides of said seat, a keeper adapted to bepassed over the said arms to prevent the same from spreading, and adevice extended between and having threaded engagement with the arms andalso having engagement with the keeper for holding the keeper in placeupon the arms, substantially as set forth.

5. In a hanger for trolley-wires and the like, the combination of amember having a seat to receive a trolley-wire and provided with arms, akeeper adapted to be passed loosely over the said arms to prevent thesame from spreading and a supporting device for the hanger having meansfor holding the keeper in place upon the arms, substantially as setforth.

6. In a hanger for trolley-Wires and the like, the combination of amember having a seat to receive a trolley-Wire and provided with arms, akeeper adapted to bepassed loosely over the said arms to prevent thesame from spreading and having means for holding it against turningmovement on the arms and means for supportingthe hanger, substantiallyas set forth.

7. In a hanger for trolley-wires and the like, the combination of amember having aseat to receive a trolley-wire and provided with arms, akeeper adapted to be passed over the said arms to prevent the same fromspreading, and a supporting-bolt extended between the arms and havingscrew-threaded engagement both with the keeper and arms for holding thekeeper against removal from said arms, substantially as set forth.

8. In a hanger for trolley-wires and the like, the combination of amember having a seat to receive a trolley-wire and having arms spacedapart for the passage of said wire between them, a keeper adapted to bepassed over said armsto prevent the same from spreading and providedwith inwardly-extended lugs adapted for engagement in the space betweenthe arms, and a supportingbolt having engagement with the arms and alsowith said lugs to prevent the removal of the keeper from said arms,substantially as set forth.

9. In ahanger for trolley-wires and the like, the combination of amember having a seat to receive a trolley-wire and having arms extendedup on opposite sides of the seat, a clamping member held between thearms for engagement above the trolley- Wire and a keeper arranged to bepassed over said arms,

the clamping member having a portion held within the keeper to preventthe clamping member from removal from between said arms, substantiallyas set forth.

10. In a hanger for trolley-wires and the like, the combination of amember having a seat for a trolley-wire and having arms, extended up onopposite sides of the seat, a keeper passed over the arms to keep themfrom spreading and having parts extended between the arms, a clampingmember held between the arms for engagement on the upper side of thetrolley-wire, and a bolt extended between the arms and having threadedengagement with said arms and with the extended parts of the keeper andarranged to press upon the clamping member, substantially as set forth.

Signed at Cincinnati, Ohio, this 9th day of March, 1901.

GEORGE HENRY RICKE.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL K. DRUCE, JOHN A. HOSBROOK.

